Remembering Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. was an incredible man who broke through centuries of racism and oppression not with bloody revolts, but with non-violent activism. He inspired millions of people around the world to stand up against unfair and unjust systems, not just in the United States, but also in Africa and the United Kingdom. Through his various movements, boycotts, marches, and sit-ins, he played a pivotal role in ending Jim Crow laws, and the signing of both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965. Both acts outlawed discrimination based on race. The Civil Rights Act goes even further, by outlawing discrimination based on religion, sex, and national origin. Without Martin Luther King Jr.’s work, we would likely not have the protected classes and anti-discrimination laws we have today. 

Martin Luther King Jr. was an agent for change and equality, regardless of race, sex, religion, or stature. He worked with Native Americans to build their own civil rights movement. King was inspired by Rosa Parks for the Montgomery bus boycotts. He worked with Buddhist monks and noted that Gandhi was a major inspiration for him. And before his assassination, he began working to address economic inequality in the United States. 

The fact that Martin Luther King Jr. championed equality for all explains why Idaho has added “Idaho Human Rights Day” to Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The holiday is a celebration of equality for all and overcoming the prejudice that surrounds us. No matter what race, sex, orientation, religion, or political affiliation, let us take a moment to reflect on what Martin Luther King Jr. stood for on January 15th.